The NH Primary season is in full swing and as such, local campaign events are plentiful. Candidates send out lots of news updates including planned appearances, endorsements and fundraising news. In an effort to keep voters up to speed we’ll be generating a weekly round-up of the news that we receive. Look for Primarily NH every Wednesday.
Return of the Mack(‘s Apples) Daddy Joe Biden
Former Vice President Joe Biden, along with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have earned more than $15 million in the two years since packing up his Veep gear and exiting the White House, that based on tax returns released Tuesday by the Bidens.
And you thought he was just a regular Joe.
As the current leader of the Democratic pack, some pundits – including the popular FOX News talking head, Judge Andrew Napolitano — feel the release of Biden’s tax returns should add pressure to the call for President Trump to do the same, especially if Biden becomes the Democratic nominee in 2020.
“I think it probably – if he’s the nominee it would put some pressure on President Trump,” Napolitano said Tuesday on “Your World with Neil Cavuto.”
“Joe Biden has really revealed so much today, it’s mind-boggling,” he said. “The amount of taxes that he paid is so impressive. The amount of charity is so generous. This I think will put a lot of heat under the president’s feet if Biden is the Democratic nominee.”
If you want to have a word with Joe about his bank account, you can catch him Sat. July 13 from 2-3 p.m. at Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Rd. in Londonderry.
He will also be in town Friday July 12:
In the afternoon, the Vice President will attend a community event in Dover. After, he will make a local stop in Portsmouth, and in the evening he will attend the New Hampshire Young Democrats Summer BBQ in Portsmouth.
Another hat in the ring
Progressive political activist and philanthropist Tom Steyer has announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America. In a video released July 9, Steyer outlined his vision for the country and how we can address the pressing challenges facing Americans.
“Corporate money has corrupted our democracy and stripped Americans of our ability to determine our own future,” said Steyer. “The only way for us to solve the urgent problems facing our country is to loosen the stranglehold that corporations have over our politicians and return political power to the American people.”
You may recall Steyer appeared in New Hampshire back in April at the NH Institute of Politics, where he called for the impeachment of President Trump.
You can watch his announcement video below.
Light up the night with Beto
On July 12 Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke will land in Peterborough for a Lights for Liberty vigil at 6:30 p.m. at Putnam Park on Grove Street.
O’Rourke is capitalizing on his plan, announced in May, that would implement a sweeping rewrite of U.S. immigration law, introducing a detailed and actionable agenda to rebuild the U.S. immigration and naturalization system. O’Rourke’s proposal places a renewed emphasis on the benefits immigration brings to American communities and our economy by creating a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people, making naturalization easier for 9 million eligible immigrants, and establishing a first-of-its-kind community-based visa.
O’Rourke’s plan would have profoundly positive impacts on immigrant communities throughout New Hampshire and allow for continued economic growth in the state. The plan would:
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Free hundreds of New Hampshire DREAMers from any fear of deportation, as well as their parents, as part of his plan to create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people, making naturalization easier for 9 million eligible immigrants, and establishing a first-of-its-kind community-based visa.
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Provide immediate relief to New Hampshire residents with Temporary Protected Status, including hundreds of Haitian and Nepalese immigrants who call the Granite State home.
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Reform our asylum laws and put a stop to the Trump Administration’s cruel asylum policies that threatened the presence of the Indonesian community in New Hampshire who have lived here for decades after fleeing their country of origin out of fear of religious persecution.
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Increase visa caps to support visas like the ones that give New Hampshire small businesses and organizations the seasonal workers they depend on to fill the gap amidst a worker shortage during the state’s busiest months of tourism.
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Eliminate future concerns about funding being diverted from critical improvement projects at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to fund an unnecessary wall at our southern border.
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Prevent the unnecessary transfer of northern border CBP agents to the southern border, protecting New Hampshire tourism with Canada by ensuring that there are no slowdowns at our ports of entry, helping the state’s small businesses succeed.
Mayor Pete’s National Service Plan
On July 12 Mayor Pete Buttigieg will make his eighth trip to New Hampshire to discuss his plan to reignite a sense of unity in America by dramatically increasing national service opportunities. Dubbed “A New Call to Service”, the Buttigieg’s initiative proposes a network of one million National Service Members by the 250th anniversary of America’s Independence in 2026.
Buttigieg will attend a house party in Rye, a Meet Pete! event in Dover, join a tour of downtown Rochester with City Councilor Jeremy Hutchinson, and headline a House Party in Laconia.
You can read up on Buttigieg’s plan here.
Where to find Mayor Pete on Friday:
7:45 a.m. Breakfast House Party with Rye Democrats at an unnamed location due to limited space.
9:30 a.m. Meet Pete! in Dover at the Rotary Arts Pavilion, Henry Law Park.
12 p.m. Downtown Rochester Tour with City Councilor Jeremy Hutchinson
1:15 p.m. House Party in Laconia, 1487 Old North Main Street, Laconia, NH
Kamala Harris rises to the occasion
Following the recent televised Democratic debate, Sen. Kamala Harris’ NH campaign reports she’s enjoying a bump in the polls, which show her moving up and effectively tying with front-runner Joe Biden. A new Iowa poll has her tied for first with Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.
Marianne Williamson, so kind
If you’re fascinated by Marianne Williamson ever since her appearance during the televised Democratic debates, you should read what kind of vibe InDepthNH.org columnist Susan Dromey Heeter picked up during Williamson’s recent stop in New Hampshire. Click here to see how she decodes Williamson’s vibe.
When Cory Comes a-Knockin’…
Cory Booker returns to the Granite State for a two-day tour July 13 and 14 with stops in Manchester, Nashua, Exeter, Pelham and Plymouth.
In Manchester, Booker will come to you as he continues to support New Hampshire Democrats up-and-down the ticket when he kicks off Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig’s first canvass launch of her re-election campaign. Following the canvass launch, Booker will become the first 2020 candidate to knock on doors when he makes the rounds in a Manchester neighborhood. Will Cory be knocking on your door?
For the rest of Booker’s NH itinerary – and to see who else will be stumping in New Hampshire this week, click here.
Farewell to Ross Perot, dead at 89
Not all who run are remembered, but there was something about Ross Perot that stuck. The billionaire, who battled cancer for the past five months, died July 9 at the age of 89. He ran in 1992 and again in 1996, establishing the Reform Party due to his frustration with the U.S two-party system.
News items received prior to July 16 will be published in the July 17 edition of Primarily NH. If you have campaign news, send it to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line “Primarily NH.”